Welcome teachers! Today we are sharing part 2 of our series designed to help you work successfully with English Language Learners. Once again, we are happy to bring in two teachers who are experts in this topic to share their insight with you.
5 Ways to Support and Embrace English Language Learners
By Carolyn Wiezorek and Charissa McAuliff
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 4.6 million English Language Learners (ELLs) attended public schools in the 2014-2015 school year making up 9.4% of all public school students. Chances are, you have ELLs in your school and classroom. Embracing the linguistic and cultural diversity which these students bring has the potential to elevate every member of your classroom. Here are a few tips to get you started.
1. Learn a language that does not use the English alphabet. Share what you learn with your students. Give them examples of silly mistakes you make, strategies you use, and of words or phrases that just don’t stick. Seeing their teacher accepting and persevering through this challenge provides all students an example of how to learn and how to develop resilience. The teacher emerges as a model learner with a new sense of empathy for ELLs and all struggling learners.
2. Slow down and simplify your speech and provide ample opportunities for students to talk with each other, socially and academically. Most experts agree that it takes 5-7 years to acquire academic language required for success in school and career. Providing a safe environment where ELLs feel comfortable practicing speech, both social and academic, enables them to accelerate acquisition of language. Think of the old adage, “The more you do it, the better you get.”
3. Make the abstract concrete by using realia (real objects), visuals (images and videos), and actions. In addition, teach vocabulary with phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (letters), helping students to connect what they hear with what they see on the page.
4. Take time to learn and integrate history and current events of your students’ home countries. Utilize websites like ReadWorks.org to find articles appropriate to your situation. Point out cities, countries, and continents on the world map and globe, encouraging your students to share their “wonderings” regarding the highlighted places. Would Bogota, Columbia have winter during the same time we do? Do children in the Quito, Ecuador live in homes like ours? What would it be like to lie on an island?
5. Work to involve and support families of your students. Their past and current experiences may leave them feeling unsafe in a new and different environment. Knowing that someone cares about them and is available to help them can provide a sense of security.
You empower all students when they experience inclusivity and appreciation for the diversity they contribute to the classroom community. Embracing English Language Learners in your classroom can promote curiosity and learning for all.
Charissa McAuliff is an ELL teacher at Dubuque Community School District in Dubuque, Iowa. She emigrated from the Philippines 38 years ago. She has a degree in Family Life and Child Development from the University of the Philippines and a Master’s degree in Education from Clarke University. Charissa also has certificates in K-6 elementary education, K-8 reading, and K-12 ELL. Charissa was also a teacher at Fulton Elementary School in Dubuque for 17 years.
Charissa has two children and three grandchildren. When she is not teaching, she loves to read, garden and travel.
Dr. Carolyn Wiezorek is an Associate Professor of Education, at Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa. She taught in K-12 education for 20 years. Dr. Wiezorek holds a doctorate in educational leadership and a master’s degree in gifted education from the University of Northern Iowa and a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from the University of Iowa. In addition, she holds endorsements in elementary education, gifted and talented education, English as a second language, physical education, and administration.
Dr. Wiezorek works with school leaders and teachers, providing workshops on various educational topics. Her work has included international training in Combarbalá, Chile, where she served on a Rotary Training Team, and in rural areas of Kenya where she and team members planned and provided workshops for primary teachers in 2016 and 2017. She is currently working with administrators from Mount Kenya University on a leadership, entrepreneurship and development program and recently worked with a group of editors and writers to publish a book on the Kenyan education system. She has a passion for improving education and enjoys working with teachers and students.
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